Dream boat launched at last

If building a 12-metre catamaran in his Waihi East garage hasn't been plain sailing for Dennis O'Brien, Limoco's champagne launch at Bowentown last Thursday was all the sweeter, as SALLY GIBBS reports.
Before Dennis even started shaping the 12m catamaran in his Waihi East backyard more than 10 years ago, he had to construct a boatshed with a 10m span and no central support pillars - a "plastic tunnel house" that long outlived its temporary building permit.
Fifteen months into the boatbuilding, an accident blew out one of Dennis' eyeballs and almost sank the project.
And in the decade it has taken to complete Limoco, the three grandchildren she was named after - Liam, Molly and Connor - have been followed by Mitch and Luca. Luckily the onboard lifeboat has still to be named, says Dennis.
His labour of love was sparked because "I've always knocked around with boats - wee cats and big cats.
"And I was in the Merchant Navy for three years after I left school".
His own vessel was two or three years on the drawing board, says Dennis. He first envisaged a 30-footer, but in the process of "pestering North Island boatbuilders" was persuaded that a larger yacht would be better suited to local wave patterns.
Dennis, a Waihi resident of 36 years, gave up his business as a furniture maker to work full time on building the boat, with the support of his wife Sue. Family members, friends, neighbours and tradesmen contributed practical help in all the complex situations that arose along the way.
The craft boasts three queen bedrooms, hot and cold running water supplied from a pair of 200-litre water tanks, a bathroom with a full-sized vanity unit and sunken shower, a gas oven and hob, electric fridge, and kauri and rimu fittings.
Essentially she's a "caravan on water", says Dennis. "The original budget doubled and then doubled again, but I wanted to do things right."
The hull has a cedar core for maximum strength and stability, sandwiched with fibreglass.
Although primarily a sailing yacht, Limoco has two diesel motors. Complete with twin 400-litre fuel tanks, mast and rigging, she weighs 6.5 tonnes.
The last leg of the long voyage from boatshed to water took place via house-moving truck in the small hours of Thursday, before family members climbed aboard at high tide for a maiden voyage to a mooring in Tauranga Harbour.
At 64 years old, Dennis says his only regret is not starting the project sooner.
However he's now "officially retired", and looks forward to cruising away with his family and friends. "Our grandchildren have already picked out spots on the trampolines to lie on to watch the dolphins," he says.